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Washington, D.C., Councilmember Wendell Felder has proposed legalizing online casino gambling while banning dual-currency sweepstakes products. The Internet Gaming and Consumer Protection Act of 2026, B26-0656, would establish a licensed market overseen by the D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming.
The measure remains a proposal, not an authorization to launch online casinos. West Virginia is cited among states that already offer regulated online casino gaming, but no West Virginia-specific policy or player-access change is reported.
D.C. bill sets a 21-plus market and operator fees
According to Hoodline’s Oct. 21 report, the legislation would allow adults 21 and older to play blackjack, poker, roulette and slot-style games on phones and computers.
Operators would pay a 25% tax on gross iGaming revenue and a $2 million licensing fee. Initial licenses would last five years, with another five-year term available for a $500,000 renewal fee.
The proposal also includes identity and age verification, anti-money laundering provisions and responsible-gaming safeguards. The first $500,000 in iGaming revenue would go to gambling-addiction prevention, education and recovery services through the Department of Behavioral Health.
Sweepstakes ban would accompany regulated casinos
The legislation pairs the proposed licensed market with a ban on dual-currency sweepstakes products. It would give the Office of Lottery and Gaming authority to impose civil penalties of up to $100,000 per violation, rising to $500,000 for repeat offenses.
At a May 4 public hearing before the Committee on Human Services, lottery office Executive Director Thomas R. Burnside said the agency was aware of more than 20 unlicensed online sweepstakes sites operating in the District, according to Hoodline.
Burnside described their legal status as a gray area because District law does not specify what sweepstakes are. His testimony highlights the regulatory distinction at the center of the proposal: licensed online casino gambling would be authorized, while dual-currency sweepstakes products would be prohibited.
Legislative approval remains unresolved
B26-0656 was introduced in April 2026 and received its public hearing the following month. It must still advance through the legislative process before its provisions could take effect.
The potential effect on D.C.’s iLottery is another unresolved question. Burnside testified that he believed annual iGaming revenue would more than offset possible losses to that product, but that remains an expectation rather than a demonstrated outcome.
For West Virginia readers, this is a separate jurisdiction’s proposal. The report does not identify a West Virginia regulatory action, operator change or access change tied to the bill.
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Source: As reported by Hoodline.
